A Libertarian Lexicon

I get asked frequently about the meaning of some commonly used terms, known to EPautos regulars but less well-known to people new to this corner of the Libertarian universe. These form the core lingua franca of the dialogue here, but much more important, they serve as a convenient shorthand for conveying certain concepts easily and efficiently – without the need to go into a long explanation. Ideally, they will become anti-authoritarian/pro-liberty memes.

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* Clover –

The root cause of every affront to liberty. The spoonful of shit that ruins a gallon of ice cream. Clovers do not believe in live and let live. They believe in telling others how to live – at gunpoint, if necessary. Clovers can’t abide the organic society, voluntary interaction or free exchange.

You are not free to disagree with a Clover.

They always have “plans” and speak in terms of “we” – as if you agreed to their plans. As if they have the right to speak for you.

A Clover will speak of “our children” when he means your children.

Clovers believe that their feelings about what “someone” might do justify imposing restrictions on people who haven’t actually done anything to cause harm to anyone.

Clovers believe in group guilt – and that you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent.

A Clover isn’t stopped in his tracks by a moral principle; for example, that it’s wrong to presume every driver on a given stretch of road is a “dangerous drunk” until he proves to the satisfaction of a cop that he isn’t.

Clovers believe that constructs such as “society” have rights – but actual human beings don’t.

They believe “there ought to be a law.”

Clovers think it’s ok to take your money if it’s called “taxes.”

They like to “help” others… with other people’s money.

Clovers think people are too irresponsible and foolish to be trusted to govern themselves – but put limitless trust in people once adorned with special titles and costumes.

Clovers consider other people their property – as evidence by their limitless desire to control other people, even to the extent of dictating to them what they may do with their own bodies.

A Clover will decree how much soda you may purchase. He favors “sin” taxes – on the things he happens not to like.

Most rank-and-file Clovers are bullies and busybodies but also cowards who hide behind euphemisms (see above regarding “taxes”) and the ballot box. They are not bold enough to actually take other people’s things themselves and shy away from telling other people what to do – such as personally telling their neighbor to “buckle up for safety” – but are eager to vote to have others perform this work on their behalf.

Clovers are generally only dangerous in herds.

* Hero –

An armed government worker.

Can be costumed or not. Usually identifiable by shaved head, opaque sunglasses and hair-trigger confrontational demeanor.

The domestic variant enforces the state’s edicts upon the population; the export version enforces the state’s will upon foreign populations.

Both populaces have been conditioned to servility and reverence in the presence of either.

Preferred honorifics are “officer” and “sir.”

Domestic Heroes keep us “safe” by taking away our freedoms. Export Heroes take away the lives of foreigners in order to “keep us free.”

It is forbidden to “resist” a Hero.

To criticize Heroes (particularly the export variants) is “unpatriotic.”

Heroes form a Praetorian caste with special privileges; they are subject to more lenient standards of behavior and accountability in the performance of their “duties.” A domestic Hero may, for example, recklessly discharge a firearm and not be jailed or even charged for this while a non-Hero will usually be charged with multiple felonies and face years in prison for the same or lesser conduct.

A Hero fired for abusing his authority in one locality is free to seek employment as a Hero in a another locality.

The “safety” of Heroes is paramount. Everything else – including our lives– is of secondary importance.

All Heroes must be “thanked for their service.”

Repeatedly.

* Uncle –

The secular deity of the United States. The incarnation/personification of the federal government. He actsin loco parentis over “children” who will never be emancipated, no matter how old they grow.

At birth, we are assigned a number by Uncle – never to be used for purposes of identification, without which it is impossible to obtain identification.

Or legal employment. Or open a bank account.

Or do much of anything.

Like Santa Claus, Uncle knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you’re awake …. except Uncle has a gun.

Lots of guns.

Uncle has assumed the power to do pretty much anything he likes. From ordering us to buy health insurance (but not necessarily get medical treatment) to decreeing how many miles-per-gallon our next new car will deliver.

Uncle claims we have consented to abide by his edicts because we have been given the opportunity to vote for one of his priests, who tell us what to do on behalf of Uncle.

Even if we voted for neither.

* Saaaaaafety –

The Magic Word that justifies … everything.

It’s even more effective than equality – which it subsumes – because everyone must be kept safe.

No matter what. And no matter the cost – in money or liberty.

It is a Clover’s favorite word.

It his meme.

Let’s change that up.

EPautos.com depends on you to keep the wheels turning! The control freaks (Clovers) hate us. Goo-guhl blackballed us.

PS: EPautos stickers – new design, larger and magnetic! – are free to those who send in $10 or more to support the site. Please be sure to tell us you want one – and also, provide a mailing address, so we can get the thing to you!

What if we don’t need leaders. Unless they are non-aggressing thought leaders.

And additionally, these leaders just have some good ideas that we might find useful. And they’re not intended to be any kind of role model or template we vote for and then try to impose on others by force because they’re somehow “better” in some way. What about that?

What is this lunacy that compels certain types to say “we should all be more like Ron Paul, or Ayn Rand, or whomever” How can you say out of one side of your mouth you’re for individuality and liberty. And then out of the other side say you’re for conformity and self-denial. It’s crazy. Stop talking crazy.

A clover is mangy muppet who demands you respect whatever squirming worms are crawling within his diseased brain and will bark and bite you if you don’t.

He will never desist from making a loud ruckus and bringing everyone else to a screeching halt until some creature in authority responds to his cacophony to rectify what he feels is being done to him.

Why, someone has touched my bone. They have wandered over the near my tree where every day he goes pee.

If he weren’t a mere housepet and showdog, he’d grok what was really going on. Most of the time someone is just wandering by and through.

He doesn’t know precisely what belongs to any particular dog, and he doesn’t much care. He just makes use of what is closest, and then leaves it as he found it, usually not much worse for the wear or the temporary contact. He has a level of awareness that informs who is who and what is what and he needn’t lash out in fear nor ignorance because no matter what happens, he is confident he can deal with it rationally and keep on keeping on.

Its truly tragic that everywhere has been artificially fenced and platted out into various kennels and cages. And dog runs and there’s a whole huge beast bureaucracy that administers the shit show. And like the planet near Betelguese its the apes and dogs and regimented beasts that have siezed power.

And the humans of intellect and natural sentiment and peace must everywhere be on the guard from the low class primates with no property. And especially the higher primate with fancy clothes and grand homes and lots of capital and property who rule the whole dog show.

Not everything red is a fire engine. There is no shortcut to seeing things as they truly are. And all the words and memorized rules and parroted dialogs are going to change things.

You have to be able and willing to walk in a world without cages and leashes and dog whistle and treats and stop performing all the old tricks of the old dogs and the new tricks of the new dogs. None of tricks are better than the other, they’re all unnatural.

I don’t see how respect for another’s property is artificial – or analogous to cages and kennels – if that was your intended meaning.

I see respect for property – and privacy – as the essential pillars of civility, without which civilization is not possible.

A man’s got a right to be left alone – and other men haven’t got a right to simply use (much less take) the things another person has bought with their sweat and time.

Doing otherwise, as I see it, constitutes a form of assault. You are taking something (or making use of something) owned by another, against his wishes (because without his prior consent).

It’s all about being excellent – per Bill and Ted.

I have several good friends with whom I have a very open policy about, for example, my tools and even some of my bikes – which these specific friends know (because we have a prior understanding) it’s ok to use even if I am not home. But I would object if some random person just helped himself to my toolbox – whether he returned everything or not. It’s a violation of my space and my stuff… of my property… and so, of me.

At least Kardashians are paid to follow their script and play their part.

But the every day Tardashian. He is unpaid yet he follows the script he’s been given. And bellows with pride as he does so.

He snarls in anger at any man who points out the folly of his tragicomic life.

Why, I’ve worked hard to land the part I play in the daily coliseum of the great rolling hills and plain of the American stage.

Should you dare violate the sanctity of my delusion. I might even kill you. I was baptized into my role and I am the greatest actor of all. For I play only one part, and strut about in my one true costume. I’m even allowed to sometimes right my own dialog.

Fuck you for daring to question my faithful execution of my script. By the powers of my producer, director, stunt man, and extras I declare you my enemy. Never will I desist in my thesbianic charade. I am no longer a man, but a citizen of the greatest show on Earth. The nationstate bread and circus.

Ed, I mentioned that the second day of its existence, a day after I used AdBlock+ to block it. It was worse than a skeeter flying into your eye trying to watch a movie. I don’t play around with stuff like that, the very reason AdBlock+ is the first thing I install as an add-on.

Rather than speak of absolutes with absolutists. I will say only I 100% understand their demands to have salient absolutes 100% respected. Whether they own some domain or not is immaterial. I do what I can, and wish you the best whether you’re building a masterpiece or polishing off your second bottle of Boone’s Farm for the night.

The worst scumbag hobo has every bit of right to his absolutes as the the Queen of England and her owned property deserves hers on her 1/6 of the titled land of this planet.

Fuck all your inhumane hierarchies that assert it need be otherwise.

Someone who is bothered by noise. And trespass. And dress. And behavior. Whoever walks the firm line of the Ayn Rand morality absolutism and calls spades spades and diamonds diamonds is greatly respected in my eyes and behavior.

But for now as things are there can be no fraternity with such people.

Cause they will say live and let live with their mouths, or typing fingers or scrawling scribblings, but not let this sentiment into their hearts and minds in any meaningful way.

Because they always seemed to be some kind of moral warmongers who find enemies behind every perceived miss step and breath of their fellow beings. Good bad ugly and uncategorized.

Is a woodpecker or worm violating your property when they use nature for their purpose. If not, then how can it be a man is held to a higher standard.

Your enemy is the organized mob of miscreants. And admittedly it gets dicey. What about us organized mongers. Including file mongers who get stuff from the internet and give files, in whatever way we like and believe is prudent and sustainable.

You’re conflating you’re enemies. Yes there are evilmongers out there who sow chaos and reap the whirlwinds on the margin.

But the individual acting man must be respected and given wide latitude in his meanderings. Elsewise you turn this world in to a spinning prison sphere just like all the costumed and titled prison wardens you rail and rant against.

Boundaries and ownership can be understood on an animal level. When you’re in brown bear territory, there’s a time and a place for carving your initials into his marked territory or whatever else you like. But you do it cognizant of not poking the bear or being caught by him when he rightly retaliates in defense of whats his.

If you pass out drunk in the woods and get mauled by a bear. That’s on you. And whatever a property owner does is given a different wide latitude cause he doesnt want you on his land or territory for whatever animal justifications he stands on.

But that does not mean some staggering drunk who leaves at bar close and fucks some floozy in “your” alleyway or backyard is somehow fair game for you to shoot or arrest and cage or whatever you like because you’re the “property owner” whatever the hell that package deal really means, which is likely not what you think it is.

Propertarian assholes end up being the footsoldiers and heroes of the lexiconmen and their endless words and regulations and rules that make life absolutely unliveable for any one but an octegenarian who never leaves his couch because he doesn’t want to be a criminal in anyones eyes.

I.2.23 (peristyle of the Tavern of Verecundus); 3951: Restitutus says: “Restituta, take off your tunic, please, and show us your hairy privates”.

I.4.5 (House of the Citharist; below a drawing of a man with a large nose); 2375: Amplicatus, I know that Icarus is buggering you. Salvius wrote this.

I.7.8 (bar; left of the door); 8162: We two dear men, friends forever, were here. If you want to know our names, they are Gaius and Aulus.

I.10.2-3 (Bar of Prima); 8258, 8259: The story of Successus, Severus and Iris is played out on the walls of a bar: [Severus]: “Successus, a weaver, loves the innkeeper’s slave girl named Iris. She, however, does not love him. Still, he begs her to have pity on him. His rival wrote this. Goodbye.”. [Answer by Successus]: “Envious one, why do you get in the way. Submit to a handsomer man and one who is being treated very wrongly and good looking.” [Answer by Severus]: “I have spoken. I have written all there is to say. You love Iris, but she does not love you.”

I.10.2-3 (Bar of Prima); 8297: Word square (see pic… ROMA…)

I.10.4 (near the rear entrance vestibule of the House of Menander); 8356: At Nuceria, look for Novellia Primigenia near the Roman gate in the prostitute’s district.

I.10.4 (exterior of the House of Menander); 8304: Satura was here on September 3rd

I.10.7 (House and Office of Volusius Iuvencus; left of the door); 8364: Secundus says hello to his Prima, wherever she is. I ask, my mistress, that you love me.
II.2.1 (Bar of Astylus and Pardalus); 8408: Lovers are like bees in that they live a honeyed life

II.2.3 (Bar of Athictus; right of the door); 8442: I screwed the barmaid

II.3.10 (Pottery Shop or Bar of Nicanor; right of the door); 10070: Lesbianus, you defecate and you write, ‘Hello, everyone!’

II.4.1 (bar; left of the door, near a picture of Mercury); 8475: Palmyra, the thirst-quencher

II.7 (gladiator barracks); 8767: Floronius, privileged soldier of the 7th legion, was here. The women did not know of his presence. Only six women came to know, too few for such a stallion.

But that does not mean some staggering drunk who leaves at bar close and fucks some floozy in “your” alleyway or backyard is somehow fair game for you to shoot or arrest and cage or whatever you like because you’re the “property owner” whatever the hell that package deal really means, which is likely not what you think it is.

Yeah, well, Tor, by that same token, we have so many “injured” people these days who have no reason to whine or bitch. If you and the floozy are on “my’ place and whilst I’m re-reading Even Cowgirls Get the Blues cause i’ve read everything in the house and Cholley Jack has gone out for his last romp and he drags your sorry ass off said floozy and has his way with her and the drunk both, don’t blame me or CJ either one. He sees it one way while I’m unaware but I see it as if I could know somebody’s about to sick the pigsters on me for being their own stupid self we’d be having Cholley Jack helping me do the 3 S’s and that, as they say, would be that. Don’t cry to me cause you misjudged a situation.

And now I’m gonna block that stupid thing right beside me with Bill Kristol that I just can’t tolerate. There, that feels better.

I don’t care about (and more importantly, have no right to do anything to interfere with) the drunk and floozy screwing, provided it’s not on my property. I didn’t work my ass off to buy my place to provide a place for any random person who just feels like it to come on down and fuck or do whatever else they feel like doing. People who don’t respect other people’s things – their property – are Clovers. It’s the Yin of Cloverism. The Yang being their aggressive violation of other people’s things.

mighta been just as well to of stayed abo and kept the ancient knapp principles. really what did all these yeuros ever do for any of us. whole lotta fancy panted nuttery if you ask me. do appreciate the new ways to knapp, but you coulda kept the rest of it to yourselves, it’s not worth it.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36rLnRXoMfY

It sickens me to think all of the lives that are ruined by the “services” of Aspen, CO heroes.

Especially something like graffiti. The purpose of paint is to protect the underlying surfaces. If you’re a non-asshole, you can grok that someone adding extra paint to your property is like free surface protection. Even more paint, at no charge.

Unfortunately America runs on assholism, not Dunkin. So of course every good little sheeple and property owner will bleat unthinkingly. I’m a property owner. Waa. If someone touches my property without permission, I must be compensated.

Never mind that under an agora, everyone would be free to graffiti. Or their be some agreed upon protocol that provides compensations and mitigations to the parties. And then the entire developed infrastructure becomes a free for all spontaneous bill board message board for all people. Gang bangers and lonely teens alike.

But of course this goes into the abyss. All anyone wants to do is keep what they have. And their position and status they feel is under attack. And no one wants to make the kind of deals and compromises that are necessary to live in a free market world. Where all manner of spontaneous things can and do happen.

Take the good take the bad. There you have the facts of freedom and life.

So all those costumed interventions and impoverishments. The net result is a huge loss for individuals and a ratcheting up of our impoverishments and restrictions.

Meanwhile, this poor gal has to find a web savvy guy to pay for her ad in bitcoin, cause some Illinois hero convinced visa/mc monopoly not to serve voluntary escort ads. Meanwhile nearly everywhere in the non police state world. Such ads are a mundane non-event that no one much cares about. Except appearance challenged gents who use such services. And internet entrepreneurs who make money enabling such services whoever they might be.

???? please be respectful over phone.???? Treat me good and I’ll treat you better ✔️ ???? ready to show you an amazing time ???? I’m hundred percent independent〰 easy to love down to earth I work hard to keep you comfortable and open ????perfect at providing a relaxing rewarding visit ????discreet and private !!!

sure sounds a lot better than the buzzcut assfucking squads rainy day hero women who hambone without mercy protecting and serving your nethers till you cant hardly take any more blue ballin…

they’ll bone you when you’re tryin’ to be so good
They’ll bone you just like they said they would
They’ll bone you when you’re tryin’ to go home
They’ll bone you when you’re there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get boned

Well, they’ll bone you when you’re walkin’ on the street
They’ll bone you when you’re tryin’ to keep your seat
They’ll bone you when you’re walkin’ on the floor
They’ll bone you when you’re walkin’ to the door
But I would not feel so all alone

Like most things, I think, this (graffiti) is basically a property rights issue. I would not spray paint or otherwise mar (or “beautify,” as I saw it) someone else’s property because it’s not mine and I don’t think it’s cool to do that unless I have been asked to or have asked and received permission to do so.

I don’t think it’s “waa” to object to some other person defacing or altering or even using something that’s yours – which you worked to create or worked to buy, etc. And I do think it’s obnoxious to be the defacer of someone else’s things, or to simply take/use them without permission and probably against the owner’s will – knowing it’s not yours and that you didn’t work to create it or work to buy it.

The contra of assholism is respecting other people’s things, which is to say, their rights. If something is yours, do as you like with it. But if it’s not yours….

But what of government (or “public”) property?

Now we have troubles because ownership is unclear. Who paid for this property? Well, the taxpayers. That seems to give the graffiti artist at least a partial claim to ownership – and therefore, to use.

Get rid of government/”public” ownership and these issues all become much more clear, morally.

My land, my house, my fence (etc.) … no one else has any right to trespass, or “improve” much less make use of these things unless given prior permission by the owner.

But you’re free to do as you like with your land, house, fence (and so on). Paint the house rainbow hues, if you like. Erect a 100 foot tall penis statue on the lawn. Open your door to the homeless. Whatever you wish to do with your stuff.

I’d welcome graffiti if I could get the same crowd that does the RR cars. They could do everything on the place, esp. the house. I’ve almost run off the interstate admiring their work. I’ve slowed down to train speed just to peruse it.

eric, I get it. I often think graffiti is simply lumped into a catch-all with no real thinking behind the “dislike” of it. It seems these days the RR doesn’t try to keep it off their cars, or at least, the good stuff. Of course there is always, but not often. somebody with the need to simply take a can of paint and with obvious lack of art or interest in art to write ” fuck puta” or something like that but it seems like that’s very seldom now and RR’s have become rolling artwork. I don’t even see them being painted over and the “artists” don’t paint over information that’s stenciled on the car for safety information and other things that need to be known about a certain car. I take it as a good sign when you can pass half a mile of continuous “art”. It would seem as if they have some sort of proxy permission. Railcars are not known for their inherent beauty but the “art cars” transform them. I’ll try to find out the truth of it with contacts in the industry.

BTW, I had FF not respond and tracked it back to this site with a javascript on a floating banner I couldn’t identify. It seems to be ok right now…….at least for me.

Each year the Aspen Police participate in a wide variety of
community events. During 2012 the department hosted
three picnics, cookies & cocoa event, annual bike auction,
bike rodeo in addition to participating in Bike to Work day,
the Children’s Parade, Family Fun Day, Hockey for Hope,
Boys to Men, and more. As active participants in the com-
munity we are able to meet the people we serve in an infor-
mal setting that fosters relationship building.

Between 2011 and 2012 ski thefts in Aspen decreased by over 60% from 19 to 7, respectfully. Unfortunately, during the same time-frame bicycle thefts increased by approximately 30% from 61 to 89. In response to this trend the Aspen Police plan to continue existing ski theft prevention efforts and increase bicycle theft prevention programs. The department is currently researching a “bait bike” program that has been studied in other cities…

The non-aggression principle (NAP) is the foundation of most present-day right-libertarian philosophies. It is a moral stance which asserts that aggression is inherently illegitimate. NAP and property rights are closely linked, since what constitutes aggression depends on what rights a person has.

Aggression, for the purposes of the NAP, is defined as the initiation or threat of violence against a person or his legitimately owned property. Specifically, any unsolicited action that physically affects another individual’s property or person, no matter if the result of those actions is damaging, beneficial, or neutral to the owner, are considered violent or aggressive when they are against the owner’s will and interfere with his right to self-ownership and self-determination.

Supporters of the NAP often appeal to it in order to argue for the immorality of theft, vandalism, assault, and fraud. In contrast to nonviolence, the non-aggression principle does not preclude violence used in self-defense or the defense of others. Many supporters argue that the NAP opposes such policies as victimless crime laws, coercive taxation, and military drafts.

Right-libertarianism (or right-wing libertarianism) refers to libertarian political philosophies that advocate capitalist economics, negative rights, and a reactionary reversal of the modern welfare state.

This position is contrasted with that of some versions of left-libertarianism, which maintain that natural resources belong to everyone in some egalitarian manner, either unowned or owned collectively. Right-libertarianism includes anarcho-capitalism and laissez-faire, minarchist liberalism.

My issue with Aspen would likely be the inability of people to respect my negative rights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_and_positive_rights Really that’s my only problem. Levels of taxation and regulation or other authoritarian details don’t interest me that much. I just need my negative rights respected, so that I can dabble and enjoy being whatever kind of monger of the moment I want to be. And enjoy my interactions with all the other species of mongers out there. Nothing more complicated than that.

-monger
combining form

denoting a dealer or trader in a specified commodity.
“fishmonger”

a person who promotes a specified activity, situation, or feeling, especially one that is undesirable or discreditable.

“rumormonger”

Nineteenth-century philosopher Frédéric Bastiat summarized the conflict between negative and positive rights by saying:
“M. de Lamartine wrote me one day: “Your doctrine is only the half of my program; you have stopped at liberty; I go on to fraternity.”

I answered him: “The second half of your program will destroy the first half.”

And, in fact, it is quite impossible for me to separate the word “fraternity” from the word “voluntary.”

It is quite impossible for me to conceive of fraternity as legally enforced, without liberty being legally destroyed, and justice being legally trampled underfoot.

I can’t make a go of it in an Aspen like bubble. I need a stressed less ordered area where there are all manner of mongers able to freely operate and ambulate. That is the only kind of fraternity that interests me.

There can be no fraternity for me with LewRockwellians or car guys. Wrenches. Not even with fellow primitivist aborigine lithic reductionists. They understand knapp but not NAP.

Because they’re usually secret psychopaths inside. Who respect no boundaries of their fellow men, and will betray you for nothing more than some fancy words in some pretty book or expensive parchment. Fuck that kind of false fraternity and bury it in a mound of fish heads.

I feel more at home in a room full of Cuban immigrants with almost no english and no concept of consumer celebritarian culture. But who because of poverty do understand the NAP on a deep level because they can’t afford much else.

I’m no leftist. Rightist. Nor a Donald Trump aboveist. Or a Bernie Sanders belowist. Or a Hilary Clinton woman in frontist. I really like this site, though, at least you can put out there whatever you are and not worry about others trying to label or categorize you.

Good post, Eric. I’d like to add a couple of terms. Feel free, course, to disagree. It is your blog. ( I do believe in ownership, LOL)
Phero – alternate, more accurate spelling for Hero, since most (if not all) of them are phony, and not real heroes.
GIC – acronym for Government (or Gunvermin) Indoctrination Center – the accurate description for what are commonly referred to as ‘Public Schools.’
“We” – the sound made by a mouse in Clover’s pocket.

“Clovers think people are too irresponsible and foolish to be trusted to govern themselves – but put limitless trust in people once adorned with special titles and costumes.”
They also trust ‘all of us’ to select our rulers – as long as we choose either from Column A or Column B – never any real alternative.

The Cato Institute had a good article about how some Republicans are joining the party to protest Candidate Clown’s pending nomination. And that the party should be wary of any attempts by them to water down the core beliefs of libertarianism.

He’s got a very good point – Republican refugees suddenly professing that they were libertarian all along ought to be prepared to answer questions around the “socially liberal” aspect of the philosophy. Like gay marriage, and who really cares about the bathroom thing?

I am a white man, but find myself very sympathetic to the views of the red man with regard to money. I’d like to be sufficiently secure such that I could continue to do what I do without worrying about my next meal or whether I’ll be able to keep my house; it’d be nice to have the financial resources to get back into doing projects like restoring an H2 750.

But – honestly – becoming a multi-millionaire (even if possible)- is not something I choke my chicken to.

Include the Libertarian National Committee in that group too. Just another gang of statists trying to co-opt “libertarian” as some sort of brand name for their selfish establishmentarian ambitions. Nothing genuinely libertarian about them at all (you’d think REAL libertarians would instinctively realize that electoral politics is 180 degrees out from the NAP).

When I lived in Aspen I was called for jury duty and had to serve. Several of my fellow jurors were quite wealthy. One was a younger woman, a little too old to be a millennial. She and I had a few conversations during breaks. The more she talked about her life the less I wanted to live it. It was all what most people would consider the dream life, not the media portrayal of “poor little rich girl,” but just that there’s nothing there that interests me.

Many people ask me about what it’s like to live in Aspen. I tell them I don’t know, I was working all the time. I moved there for the job (which was what I wanted to do), not because I wanted to hobnob with the rich and powerful. But there were some positives. I never felt safer. Never had to worry about the car disappearing or getting keyed in the parking lot. The cleanest town I’ve ever seen, cleaner than Disneyworld. No graffiti anywhere, except when commissioned by the building owner. The Aspen Center for Physics had free lectures by the visiting scientists. Best looking women I’ve ever seen, just walking around town. But was that experience be worth a few million bucks’ worth of house? Not even close.

Oh yes, I skied all the time up until when I moved to Aspen. I lived in Fraser prior to taking the job in Aspen, and always had a season pass at Winter Park. When I was working out by the ski area I’d take a few turns over my lunch hour. The staff at the hotel at the base knew me and let me park in the employee parking lot when I was on call. Basically every weekend I’d get a couple of hours in. But way too expensive for a season pass in Aspen. That and working all the time I got fat. But I’ve been getting back in shape and will be back on the mountains next year.

It takes a little while to adjust to the altitude, and even today camping much above 10,000 ft gets pretty uncomfortable. But your body adapts. The real fun part is when you go down to sea level, you really do get a boost from the extra oxygen.

eric, not to change subjects but since I know you’re part of Linkdn, as am I, do you see the PC/feminist crowd beginning to move it away from its original goal and turn it into another social media they can use to address those causes that seek to disenfranchise men? Just curious since it appears that way to me. I’m not speaking of every female member either but mainly those with enough clout to get published….although it seems that other female members are just waiting for that type of thought and will pile on given a chance……..and I certainly don’t mean every female member either.

“Republican refugees suddenly professing that they were libertarian all along”
I can certainly understand people who have thought they were Republicans based on what the party says about itself, suddenly realizing that the GOP is NOT that, but maybe the Libertarian Party is.
This coming from someone who drank a lot of ‘AuH2O’ back in 64.

“Republican refugees suddenly professing that they were libertarian all along”

I still deal with them every day on a personal basis. They voted Libertarian last election but rail against “some” drugs and stand up for cops regardless(you just pick out the bad ones). No man, If I picked out every bad one I come across our email would be stuffed every day with examples to which you’d say “get over it”.

Funny you mentioned AuH2O. We actually bought several cans of the stuff (for you youngsters, they really did sell something like Mellow Yellow in cans). In about 1975 or so, I moved the still-sealed cans to another spot and found the contents had all evaporated. How does that happen? Just like the “conservative” wing of the GOP makes Genghis Kahn look like a “moderate”. The other wing makes FDR look like The Grinch. How does that happen? (Murray Rothbard pretty much indicated that most of the fizz in the Republicans was always just fermented Clover Juice.)

And Johnson/Weld as a Libertarian ticket? Gimme a break! I guess that the policy is that it’s OK to snort coke while blowing up weddings in Pakistan from the office in Colorado. (Actually, it might make that job easier.)

I always said I was a republican (small “r”) or a libertarian (small “l”) but the parties are kind of like what G. Wallace said. “They ain’t a dimes worth of difference between them!” And lately that includes the big “L” Libertarians. I plan to write in Ron Paul this year.

Among the many things intolerable about the GOP is its incoherence regrading “freedom.” If I am a free man, then my private conduct is my private business (assuming I’m not doing some other person harm thereby). But most Republicans can’t stand the idea of MYOB when it comes to who people sleep with, what they put into their bodies and so on.

As a Libertarian, while I may not condone “x” I accept that I have no right to threaten those who disagree in order to force my views upon them. And refraining from such threats does not imply approval of the “x” in question, merely defense of the other person’s right to pursue his happiness as he sees fit.

Quote from the link – “a party that already had a tenuous relationship to its stated values” Tenuous? Don’t make me laugh. The GOP has NO relationship to its ‘stated values,’ as proved by their treatment of Ron Paul in the previous 2 election cycles.

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Eric started out writing about cars for mainstream media outlets such as The Washington Times, Detroit News and Free Press, Investors Business Daily, The American Spectator, National Review, The Chicago Tribune and Wall Street Journal.